When It Rains It Pours
by Adelled
Summary: Marshall and Abigail's wedding day.


Title: When It Rains It Pours

Summary: Abigail and Marshall's wedding day.

Disclaimer: Mary and Marshall belong to David Maples. If they hadn't been misused by others I wouldn't be writing this.

IPS***IPS*** IPS***IPS*** IPS***IPS*** IPS***IPS*** IPS***IPS***

Mary was late to the wedding. Well, not exactly late. The ceremony was scheduled to start any minute. As much as it hurt, she had to be at Marshall's wedding. He had asked her.

Once parked, she looked toward the church and spotted the bride running down the front steps.

"What the hell?" She got out of the van and rushed to intercept Abigail.

"Abigail." She grabbed the bride by the arm. "Stop, Abigail." She could see Abigail had been crying. Her nose was red and she alternated dabbing it and her eyes with the lacy handkerchief that was the 'something borrowed.'

"C'mon. Come with me." Mary slid open the side door of the van. Pushing a rubber giraffe off the seat, she helped compress the voluminous dress so Abigail could sit . Norah's empty car seat was across from the weeping bride. Mary had decided the baby didn't need to be there. Jinx was thrilled to have her granddaughter all to herself.

"What are you doing Abigail? What's wrong."

"I can't. I can't," the bride sobbed.

"Can't what? Can't marry Marshall? Why the hell not."

Abigail cried harder.

"Marshall is the best man you will ever find. He's caring, thoughtful, and considerate. He knows a ton of crap. He's smart. What he doesn't know he can find out. He's thorough. He's a great guy, a real catch, an incurable romantic. He loves you. Why in the hell can't you marry him?"

Abigail sniffed once more and raised her tear stained face to Mary. "He may love me, but I know I'll always be second best."

"No, no." Mary interrupted. "Marshall told me. You are not a consolation prize. You are the love of his life."

Gritting her teeth, Abigail sniffed. "You're wrong Mary. Wrong. I'm not the love of his life. He knows it, I know it and even you know it."

Mary was determined to fix this. Despite what Abigail declared she 'knew.'She had released her best friend to be happy, and by god he was going to be happy. And so was Abigail. Mary herself could deal.

"I'm going to get Marshall." Mary fished a bottle of water from the cup holder, found a box of Kleenex and handed them to Abigail. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Mary could see a few people at the entrance of the church. Running up the steps she spotted Marshall, resplendent in his tuxedo. The hair flopping down and his worried expression clashed with the celebratory formal wear.

Marshall squinted in the sun and saw a block of white in the open side door of Mary's minivan. "Marshall!" Mary waved. "I've got her."She turned and headed back to the van. It was parked a few cars from the front of the church. He took off after Mary.

"Abigail, Abs, sweetheart," he crooned as he got close to the van. "Why are you crying? What's wrong."

For her part Abigail continued her litany of "I can't."

Marshall took Abigail's hand, and gently wiped the tears from her face. Abigail raised her head to those crystal blue eyes she jerked her hand from his grasp and shouted, "I can't. I can't marry you." The tears burst forth anew.

Marshall pierced Mary with an accusing glare.

"I found her like this. I didn't do anything," Mary protested mildly.

Abigail raised her head. "She's right Marshall. Mary didn't do anything." She gulped. "I was leaving the church when she found me.

Mary looked at the beautiful, albeit red nosed bride, the handsome groom and told them, "I'll give you some privacy." When she started to move away, Abigail grabbed her hand. "Stay."

Although Marshall thought he and Abigail should talk alone, he was grateful for the support of his best friend. Whatever came next, she'd have his back.

Marshall's handsome face was twisted in worry. Whatever made his bride sad, made him sad. "Why can't you marry me? Aren't I good enough for you?"

"No," she hiccupped. "You're perfect, you're just not meant for me. Can't you see that?" Abigail seemed more composed. Mary stood apart from the two, her face turned away.

"Marshall," she sighed. "Since you've stopped spending time with Mary you dream about her every night." Marshall was startled by the revelation and began to protest. He had always claimed he didn't remember his dreams but he knew Mary was featured in the ones he did recall.

"Every night Marshall. Every night I wake up in the middle of the night. You're calling her name. Hers. Not mine. You've been doing it for months. I thought once your relationship with Mary changed, once you weren't partners anymore, it would stop. It hasn't. Last night you not only called her name, you were crying. In your sleep. You were crying for another woman. I can't do this. I can't marry you."

"But," Marshall protested, "but Mary doesn't love me." He didn't try to deny the dreams, or even the tears. He may not remember, but it felt true.

Mary wanted to be there to support Marshall, to fix Abigail's problem so the wedding could go on. When Marshall didn't deny Abigail's accounting of his dreams and tears, her whole body jerked. When Marshall declared she didn't love him, she moved closer to them.

"Doesn't she?" Abigail asked, looking at Mary.

Marshall followed Abigail's eyes to Mary's. He could see sadness, and a flash of something more.

"Abigail's right, Marshall. I do love you. Just not like that." Her statement echoed his from that night on the balcony. Mary was determined that Marshall was going to have his happy wedding day, or else.

"Really Mary?" Abigail contended. "That's not what I see."

Mary glared at Abigail. What could the detective see? How could she see something that wasn't there? Was it?

"I see a woman who has just discovered that her best friend, the man she has spent the last decade of her life with, is the love of her life. A woman who is determined to see her best friend happy, even if it means letting him go." Abigail swallowed.

"I see a woman afraid of change who has become a mother. Who has changed and grown and realized that she has never before wanted a man to stay, to be more, to be her family." Abigail reached out and took Mary's hand, then Marshall's. "For you, Mary, that man is Marshall."

Mary sobbed as her secret was revealed. Marshall was dazed. He didn't pull back when Abigail put his hand in Mary's.

Finally in control of her emotions, Abigail slid off the car seat and past the stunned couple. They were still holding hands. Mary was crying and nodding yes.

"I've got a wedding to cancel." Abigail breathed deep, drew herself up, and marched cedterminedly up the steps. She turned before entering the church to see Marshall and Mary embracing. He was rubbing her back. Mary's hands were gripping his lapels.

Abigail sniffed. "My work here is done."


End file.
